Overview

Morgan Spurlock, the director of Super Size Me, came up with a great hook for his debut as a documentary filmmaker. His experiment, to eat nothing but three McDonalds meals a day every day for 30 consecutive days, provides an entertaining and occasionally disturbing narrative thread that allows for informative and engaging tangents about American culture's disturbing trend toward obesity. Though the prose in his voice-overs occasionally reveals Spurlock's amateurism, the editing and the quality of his interviews ...

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Overview

Morgan Spurlock, the director of Super Size Me, came up with a great hook for his debut as a documentary filmmaker. His experiment, to eat nothing but three McDonalds meals a day every day for 30 consecutive days, provides an entertaining and occasionally disturbing narrative thread that allows for informative and engaging tangents about American culture's disturbing trend toward obesity. Though the prose in his voice-overs occasionally reveals Spurlock's amateurism, the editing and the quality of his interviews more than make up for it. Spurlock has absorbed the work of Michael Moore and manages to achieve the same intricate balance between laughter, shock, and information that makes Moore's films entertaining, although Spurlock is without any righteous anger. Spurlock understands how to present his interviewees in fascinating ways. The health advocate heir to the Baskin Robbins fortune, a school chef, and a man who eats 750 Big Macs a year are just three examples of how Spurlock gives his subjects enough screen time to allow the viewer to get a sense of who they are as people, not just pawns in Spurlock's film. While he could easily have exploited his relationship with his charming vegan chef girlfriend, Spurlock instead makes her an equal in the film. She provides some of the best emotional moments in the film. Spurlock successfully melds personal filmmaking techniques, investigative journalism, and a healthy interest in other people to make an engaging film on an important topic.

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Editorial Reviews

All Movie Guide
- Perry Seibert

Morgan Spurlock, the director of Super Size Me, came up with a great hook for his debut as a documentary filmmaker. His experiment, to eat nothing but three McDonalds meals a day every day for 30 consecutive days, provides an entertaining and occasionally disturbing narrative thread that allows for informative and engaging tangents about American culture's disturbing trend toward obesity. Though the prose in his voice-overs occasionally reveals Spurlock's amateurism, the editing and the quality of his interviews more than make up for it. Spurlock has absorbed the work of Michael Moore and manages to achieve the same intricate balance between laughter, shock, and information that makes Moore's films entertaining, although Spurlock is without any righteous anger. Spurlock understands how to present his interviewees in fascinating ways. The health advocate heir to the Baskin Robbins fortune, a school chef, and a man who eats 750 Big Macs a year are just three examples of how Spurlock gives his subjects enough screen time to allow the viewer to get a sense of who they are as people, not just pawns in Spurlock's film. While he could easily have exploited his relationship with his charming vegan chef girlfriend, Spurlock instead makes her an equal in the film. She provides some of the best emotional moments in the film. Spurlock successfully melds personal filmmaking techniques, investigative journalism, and a healthy interest in other people to make an engaging film on an important topic.

New York Times
- A.O. Scott

Goes down easy and takes a while to digest, but its message is certainly worth the loss of your appetite.

Washington Post
- Michael O'Sullivan

Super Size Me is an anti-junk-food screed that manages to entertain even as it informs and alarms.
Super Size Me is an anti-junk-food screed that manages to entertain even as it informs and alarms.

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amazingly scary!

it's very imformative, and funny. it made me realize how unhealthy fast food is! i don't really want mcdonalds anymore

2 out of 2 people found this review helpful.

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Anonymous

Posted October 1, 2010

Too Much of a Big Mac Attack

Morgan Spurlock should have consulted an elementary school science teacher for help on setting up a valid experiment. Mr. Spurlock increased his calorie intake by approximately 100%, changed the type of food he ate, and decreased his exercise. In other words, he changed three variables. So his results are completely invalid. He can't prove that any one of these changes caused his problems. His experience also shows the uselessness of "anecdotal evidence", as his internist said he had never seen liver problems caused by fat intake before. However, we are supposed to believe that his fast food intake caused them. This experiment would need to be repeated many times over, changing only ONE variable at a time, to be scientifically valid.

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

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Anonymous

Posted October 1, 2010

Recommended to any Fast Food Goer

This is one of the most entertaining, and shocking documenterys I've ever seen. After watching this I vowed to never eat fast food ever agian. And trust me, you can't eat fast food after watching this. Everyone should see this film. It's incredibley powerful and I think i'd make many people think twice before walking into anouther Mcdonalds. Plus, the theme song is really catchy. "Super Size, Super Size the American way. Getting fat, getting broke, either way your gonna pay."

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Anonymous

Posted October 1, 2010

for the adventurous

In reviewing the movie "Super Size Me" , I would just like to warn those reading, this is for adventurous people only. "Super Size Me" is a documentary about Morgan Spurlock (main character and director) and his unusual love of McDonalds and quest for knowledge. Morgan undergoes a McDonalds binge for a whole month, Nothing else!, morning, noon and night. He eats nothing else but that to find out what McDonalds truly does to people's bodies. The movie, being that it is a documentary is only 98 minutes in length and goes into great detail about the stuff you don't want to know about, but should. I found Morgan's admiration of McDonalds and the need for knowledge disturbing at times. I would also say it is informative and interesting. See what happens to Morgan's health, and hear what kinds of advice his doctors give him, as he attempts to stick to his goal. The percentages and charts you learn from would shock you! I once again warn that it is for adventurous people with strong stomachs.

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Anonymous

Posted October 1, 2010

How can you do that to yourself just amazing!

How bout the sacrifice this guy made to show the world what this kind of problem is. he thought he was having a heart attack and he gain enourmous amounts of weight i will never ever think about fast food the same again it is just revolting and amazing what that junk can do to you and people eat like that man and think nothing of it good thing thay got rid of the ability to SUPER SIZE your meal. Watch this movie if you are a constant fast food goer you'd be better off waiting a couple of minutes for a good meal than ending up obese for the couple of seconds you save.

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Anonymous

Posted October 1, 2010

Loved it!

This is a great documentary. Its funny, witty, and informative. I am NEVER eating McDonalds again. If you like Micky D's you need to watch this.

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Anonymous

Posted October 1, 2010

People Need to See the TRUTH

The honestly made documentary, Super Size Me simply made me feel even stronger and more passionate of my organic and vegetarian lifestyle. People need to start having more CONCERN in what they are putting in their body and by going to fast food joints no one truely knows what they are ordering and how poisonous it might be. Best thing I did for myself was to become a vegetarian and cook at home!

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Anonymous

Posted October 1, 2010

Super Sized Teens

What would happen if you ate nothing but burgers and fries for an entire month? Morgan Spurlock documented a month of eating nothing but McDonald’s fast food. He not only has to eat it three times a day, but he has to super-size it too. I not only liked the movie but I felt that there was a lesson to be learned when watching this movie. Spurlock not only proved that there is much medical danger in eating fast food, but how being obese can affect your social life and your self-esteem. I think that this movie deserves to be shown in all health classes all over the country because of the alarming rate that young people that consume fast food on a daily basis. This movie can also motivate young people like me to stay away from the fast food and start eating healthy to lead a healthy life not only now, but when we get older. Not only did Morgan Spurlock star in the movie (along with Alexandra Jamieson and Dr. Daryl Isaacs) but he also wrote, produced, and directed it.

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Anonymous

Posted October 1, 2010

Stop wasting your money on diet or exercise fads/gimmicks and watch this instead.

I am an exercise physiologist that is continuously working with individuals who do not lead a healthy lifestyle. This movie summarizes many of the points that I am repeatedly emphasizing with my clients. Very educational and entertaining!

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Anonymous

Posted October 1, 2010

Must see

This movie is awesome. It documents all the bad body side effects that happen to this man for going on a 30 day McDonald diet such as vomiting his food up after the 3rd day. I will never put a drop of fast food in my body for the rest of my life. McDonald's fries DO NOT decompose, rot, or mold after 10+ weeks. Freaky? YES!

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Anonymous

Posted October 1, 2010

A MUST SEE Movie

It is an amazing movie. The facts are real. I saw this movie when it first came out and decided to try my own diet. I've been on my diet for about three months. It is amazing what a difference. I didn't eat a lot of fast-food, but now I haven't had any for three months and I'm losing weight. Next time you think of going to "Super-size" your meal, remeber this movie.

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Anonymous

Posted October 1, 2010

Gross but good

I thoroughly enjoyed this film--if that is the right word. It was gross, revolting and extremely informative. I have thought twice about fast food of any kind ever since.

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Anonymous

Posted October 1, 2010

I will punch my kids too

Really intresting movie. Scary how they are trying to market to the kids to get them hooked at an early age. It's no suprise that kids always want to go to McDonalds.

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